Latest News & Updates

Leonard Park playground closes for replacement; reopening expected spring 2027

Speedway Parks & Recreation closed the Leonard Park playground on Monday, Oct. 19, so crews can build a new one. The town says the playground will stay closed during construction and is expected to reopen in spring 2027. The rest of Leonard Park stays open as construction allows. Visitors are asked to stay behind construction barriers.

The town says a new playground at Meadowood Park is also planned, with construction starting in 2027. It will share the schedule and closure dates when plans are final. Questions go to Parks Director Tammy Smith.

Source: Town of Speedway · Oct. 19

Town seeks residents for 2027 boards and commissions; fire department hiring closes Oct. 28

• Boards and commissions: The town is taking applications from residents who want to serve on a town board or commission in 2027. These are volunteer positions. The interest form is on the town's Boards & Commissions page. Questions go to Executive Assistant Austin Shively at 317-481-0847. The town has not posted a deadline.
• Speedway Fire Department: Applications for the department's lateral hiring process are open through Wednesday, Oct. 28.

Sources: Town of Speedway (boards), Town of Speedway (news) · Oct. 8

Absentee ballot deadline Thursday; Wayne Township Trustee's office is an Election Day vote center

The deadline to request an absentee ballot in Marion County is Thursday, Oct. 22. Satellite early voting sites open Saturday, Oct. 24, and run through Nov. 1. Early voting at the City-County Building continues through noon on Nov. 2.

On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, the Wayne Township Trustee's Office at 5401 W. Washington St. is a vote center from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voting is in the Small Claims Courtroom. The county says to use the main door from the parking lot facing Washington St. The county's page for this location does not list it as a satellite early voting site. Voters can check vote.indy.gov or call 317-327-5100.

The Wayne Township schools operating referendum is on the Nov. 3 ballot. The bulletin covered the district's plan on Oct. 19.

Sources: Indy Votes, WFYI (referendum)

Woman and young boy found shot dead at apartment complex near Eagle Creek

IMPD officers were called around 1:05 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, to the 4400 block of Village Lane, an apartment complex off Eagle Creek Pkwy. on the northwest side. They found a woman and a boy police described as under the age of 10, both shot. Both died at the scene. Police found a gun at the scene.

Police said they had no indication yet of how the two were related. Asked about a suspect, IMPD said there was no ongoing threat to the public and that it believes the shooting was isolated. Police have not released the victims' names. Anyone with information can contact IMPD Detective Carl Clark II at 317-327-3475.

Sources: WISH-TV, FOX59 · Oct. 19

Man dies after Northland Rd. shooting; IMPD says it appears domestic-related

Officers were sent to the 5500 block of Northland Rd., near W. 56th St. and Kessler Blvd. N. Dr., around 9:50 p.m. Monday after a report of shots fired. They found a man who had been shot. He was first reported in critical condition and later died at a hospital.

IMPD Capt. Richard Ray said early findings show the shooting was domestic violence related. A suspect is in custody. Police have not released the suspect's age or sex. IMPD said there were many witnesses at the scene. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233.

Source: WTHR (via Yahoo News) · Oct. 19

One dead in Monday morning crash on westbound I-465 on the north side

One person died in a crash Monday morning, Oct. 19, on westbound I-465 between Allisonville Rd. and River Rd., according to INDOT and Indiana State Police. Several lanes were closed during the cleanup and investigation. The ISP crash reconstruction team is investigating. Police have not released the cause of the crash or the person's name.

Source: WIBC · Oct. 19

Country Club Rd. and Rockville Rd. intersection to close for about a month starting Oct. 26

INDOT now says the intersection of Country Club Rd. and Rockville Rd. (U.S. 36) on the west side will close on or after Monday, Oct. 26, for about a month. The start date was earlier set for around Oct. 12. Crews will make drainage and pavement improvements on Country Club Rd. The detour uses W. 10th St. and Girls School Rd. INDOT says access to all homes and businesses will be kept open.

Source: WTHR (via Yahoo News) · Oct. 6

What the 2027 budget includes for roads, stormwater and parks

• Public works: About $335 million for the Department of Public Works, the largest increase of any department. Mirror Indy puts the increase at about 30%.
• Roads and stormwater: WISH-TV reports $267 million for roads, bridges and greenways, an extra $10 million for roads and $39 million for stormwater.
• Parks: Indy Parks gets about $54 million, a 7% increase, including $2.5 million for pools and splash pads.

Sources: WISH-TV, Mirror Indy · Oct. 19

Budget funds a new low-barrier shelter and cuts eviction diversion money

• Shelter: $2.8 million to operate the city's low-barrier homeless shelter once it opens in 2027.
• Eviction diversion: The Eviction Diversion Initiative gets $750,000, down from $1.5 million in 2026. Mirror Indy reports court navigators are no longer funded.
• Housing and social services: WISH-TV reports about $72 million in total, including the Streets to Home Indy initiative. WIBC, citing FOX59, reported Oct. 17 that the CHIP-led effort has moved more than 280 people into housing.

Sources: Mirror Indy, WISH-TV, WIBC (Streets to Home) · Oct. 19

Council passes $1.9B 2027 budget, 17-7; it now goes to the mayor

The City-County Council approved the 2027 budget Monday night, 17-7, according to WISH-TV. The council voted on the budget in sections to avoid councilors' conflicts of interest. Mirror Indy reports the votes mostly followed party lines, with Democrats generally voting yes and Republicans voting no. Library funding passed 15-5. WFYI reports councilors from both parties raised concerns about how the library manages its money and agreed to a closer review before future budgets.

IMPD gets about $400 million, an 11.5% increase over 2026, according to Mirror Indy. The budget funds 1,743 officer positions, a number the department has never reached. City leaders say property taxes will not go up. The budget does not include a proposed vehicle excise surtax.

Mirror Indy reports these items were cut or not funded: $100,000 for FEEDINDY grocery rides, $260,000 for a release lobby for people leaving jail, a $1.5 million request for Community Corrections ankle monitors and drug testing, and $1 million from Indy Achieves, which drops to $1.5 million.

Council President Maggie Lewis said the budget reflects the council's responsibility to protect essential services. Republican Councilor Brian Mowery, who voted no, called the process a "rubber stamp" because no amendments were offered. Protesters interrupted the meeting over IMPD spending and police accountability, and sheriff's deputies removed several of them.

Mayor Joe Hogsett must sign the budget. It then goes to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. The bulletin found no report Monday night on whether the TRUST surveillance ordinance was introduced.

Sources: WISH-TV, Mirror Indy, WFYI, FOX59 · Oct. 19